Flaky, layered pastry triangles filled with spiced ground lamb and onion, baked in a tandoor-style oven until deeply golden.
Uzbek Samsa is a real, traditional Uzbek dish, known as Baked Meat-Filled Pastries. Flaky, layered pastry triangles filled with spiced ground lamb and onion, baked in a tandoor-style oven until deeply golden.\n\nSamsa reflects Uzbekistan's Silk Road connections to South and Central Asian samosa traditions, traditionally baked stuck to the walls of a hot clay tandoor oven, giving the pastry a distinctive smoky char.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Uzbek home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 8
Mix flour, salt and warm water into a smooth dough, kneading for 8 minutes. Rub with oil, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.
Combine ground meat, diced onion, cumin, salt and pepper, mixing thoroughly; the onion should release moisture into the meat for a juicy filling.
Roll the dough into a large thin sheet, brush with melted butter, fold in layers, and rest for 15 minutes before rolling again into a thin sheet.
Cut the dough into squares, place a spoonful of filling in the center of each, and fold into a triangle, sealing the edges firmly.
Arrange the triangles on a baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 30 to 35 minutes until deeply golden and flaky.
Dice the onion very finely and mix it thoroughly into the meat — the onion's moisture keeps the filling juicy as it bakes.
Layer the dough with butter and let it rest between rolls to build a flaky texture reminiscent of a tandoor-baked crust.
Seal the edges firmly, since the filling's juices will otherwise leak out and burn during baking.
A pumpkin and onion filling is a popular vegetarian version, especially in autumn.
Some households add a bit of chopped fresh dill to the meat filling.
Use ground beef instead of lamb for a milder flavor.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Samsa reflects Uzbekistan's Silk Road connections to South and Central Asian samosa traditions, traditionally baked stuck to the walls of a hot clay tandoor oven, giving the pastry a distinctive smoky char.
Yes, assemble and refrigerate unbaked samsa for a few hours, or freeze for up to a month; bake fresh, adding extra time if baking from frozen.
The dough edges weren't sealed tightly enough — press and crimp firmly to fully enclose the filling.
A tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven, where the samsa are traditionally stuck to the hot inner walls; a conventional oven works well as a home substitute.
Per serving (180g / 6.3 oz) · 8 servings total
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